Laid-back Lifestyle: A Bucolic Log Home in Montana

For most, building a log home means making a long list of must-have elements to incorporate into the design. But Patrick and Sheila Rose decided to take a different approach. Instead, the couple defined exactly what it was that they didn’t want.

Fans of simplicity, they knew there was no room for a lot of glitz, glamour or cutesy interior design. All they really wanted was a down-to-earth getaway where they could spend time with their family and escape their fast-paced lives in Rancho Santa Fe, California, a bustling suburb of San Diego.

The decision to build a log home was easy for the Roses. In fact, it was dictated by the lot they chose. At the Stockfarm—a joint venture between Charles Schwab, head of the national financial-services firm, and Jim Schueler, president and founder of Rocky Mountain Log Homes—approximately one-third of the 125 homes planned for the development are required to be log. “This community is really designed for the person that wants a little piece of the West,” explains Jim, who has been producing log homes since 1974.

Like all the houses in the Stockfarm, the Rose residence is a custom design. At Jim’s suggestion, they approached architect Jeremy Oury of the KIBO Group about designing their home. “We wanted a simple design, with the guest bedrooms on one end and our bedroom on the other. We wanted a big common area in between,” Patrick says of the 3,100-square-foot home.

The couple paid homage to pioneer cabins from the late 1800s in their home’s design, making it look like it was built decades ago. A rich stain lends instant age to the 10-inch lodgepole pine logs and the rough board- and-batten siding, which sheathes the gable ends of the home.

Inside, Patrick and Sheila installed wide plank, circular-sawn Douglas fir flooring that looks tough enough to withstand not only a trio of boisterous grandchildren, but a saloon full of rough riders, as well. Gnarled character logs, a stone fireplace and a smattering of antiques and animal hides further conjure up the spirit of the Wild West.

But Sheila, who handled her own interior design, wanted to create a home, not a Hollywood film set. So she mixed it up with a few unexpected choices, from the funky, futuristic row of pendant lights above the dining table to the stainless steel countertops and backsplash in the kitchen. Then, of course, there are those whimsical elements, like the teddy bears that top every guest room bed.

“Our grandchildren talk about visiting the cabin all year long,” says Sheila.

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